Posts by Mark Howell
Bad Idea #2: Use an On-Demand Call Center to Provide Coaching
Not long ago my post 5 Stupid Things Churches Need to Stop Doing (in the name of small group ministry) offered a short list of dumb things churches do. It was an incomplete list. Here’s another really bad idea that actually happened. “Let’s use an on-demand call center to provide coaching!” The essence of the idea Instead…
Read More5 Best Church-Wide Campaigns for Fall 2016
Have you pulled the trigger yet on your fall ministry strategy? It’s not too late, but now is the time if you plan to incorporate a church-wide campaign (an alignment between your weekend message series and a small group study). And although there are two other windows when the impact of a campaign can be…
Read MoreAdd Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice to Your Coaching Resource List
In keeping with my belief that whatever we want to happen in the lives of the members of our groups, must happen in the lives of the leaders first, it stands to reason that we can’t expect the lives of our coaches and leaders to be something that we are not. With me? As a…
Read MoreHow Saddleback Online Has Started 1700 Small Groups in 4 Years
Online. Many churches are currently making worship services (or at least the sermons) available for viewing online. Some are streaming their services. Others are simply making them available for viewing on-demand. A few churches are creating a true online campus. Do you know the difference? If your church has an online presence (whatever the type),…
Read MoreWhat Do Your Goals Say about Your Ministry?
You can learn a lot about ministries and organizations by analyzing their goals. Some churches have attendance goals. Some churches have baptism goals. Some multi-site church have goals for the number of sites. Some churches have church planting goals. Your church’s goals are an indication of priorities (of your true priorities). Goals can be something…
Read MoreDo You Have Your Ducks in a Row for a Powerful Fall Ministry Season?
Do You Have Your Ducks in a Row for a Powerful Fall Ministry Season? Well do you? Have your ducks in a row? It’s not too late to do the planning that will prepare your church for a powerful fall ministry season…but now is the time. You might be thinking church-wide campaign, but you certainly…
Read MoreThe Number One Reason Leaders Don’t Want a Coach
I’m often told by small group pastors and directors that the main reason they don’t have a coaching structure is that their leaders do not want a coach. Ever thought that? Ever said that? Here’s what I’ve found. Most of the time, if not 100% of the time, the small group leaders who say they don’t…
Read MoreDon’t Miss Happy Hour – Hugh Halter’s Newest Book
The newest book from Hugh Halter arrived this week. I’ve loved every one of his previous books (especially Flesh: Bringing the Incarnation Down to Earth) and couldn’t wait to see this one. Happy Hour: Etiquette and Advice on Holy Merriment is a simple book–just 58 pages–“that will give you a little theology, a little missiology, a…
Read MoreQuotebook: John Ortberg on Finding a True “Just As I Am” Church
“If ever there were a true ‘just as I am’ church, if ever there were a community where everybody could bring all their baggage and brokenness with them without neat and tidy happy endings quite yet, if ever there was a group where everyone was loved and no one pretended — we could not make…
Read MoreThe Best Training for Small Group Leaders
In yesterday’s post I updated an older article about how we’re training new small group leaders these days. The article generated several good comments and questions. Here’s a little more thinking on how to provide the best training for small group leaders. First, I want to make it as easy as possible for people to…
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